I’m loyal to Buhari, won’t contest against him, Tinubu declares

A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared as false, media reports that he plans to contest the 2019 presidential elections.

His media office stated on Tuesday that Tinubu, remains loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari and will never stand in any contest against the president, or support anyone against him.

A statement by his media assistant, Tunde Rahman said the former Lagos State governor neither has any plans to join PDP mega party, nor has he penciled any name as running mates.

The statement read in part: “Those who wrote this fantasy seek to place Asiwaju Tinubu at odds with President Buhari. Writing such a baseless report is a very foul and wrong thing to do.

“Asiwaju Tinubu is not gearing up for a presidential run. As long as that patriotic and committed man named Muhammadu Buhari holds and seeks to hold the mantle as our president, then Asiwaju Tinubu stands behind him in unwavering support and confidence.

“Asiwaju Tinubu remains faithful to the mission of progressive reform and change that President Buhari, he and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have started.

“Tinubu was instrumental in the formation and success of the APC. His toil and efforts helped establish this government. He is not one to tear down something he laboured so dutifully to build.

“The report opted to gain false sensation by completely mocking the tenor of the brief banter Asiwaju Tinubu had with journalists at the inauguration of Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

When asked about future political office, Asiwaju said he could not discount that possibility if the nation called upon him for such service, provided, he emphasised, that all political conditions were appropriate; particularly the office in question would have to be vacant, even if it’s local government chairmanship. In our political lexicon, this means the office is not held by a member of the APC in good standing. We all know this.

“Moreover, if you really listen to his words, Asiwaju did not mention any office or any time-frame. The conditions he mentioned may not become ripe for years to come and they might not pertain to the presidency. In effect, all Asiwaju said was the position that any political figure would hold.

“As a politician, he cannot preclude the possibility of running for office in the future because no man knows what the future will hold. To translate this general statement of political reality into a tale that he is actively preparing for a 2019 presidential run is reckless in the extreme”.

Tinubu further discounted any plans of joining the opposition PDP, as he is “acknowledged to be the intellectual father and the driving force behind the APC”, adding that he is not planning meetings for any such presidential campaign and is not contemplating any such meetings.

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“It makes no sense that he would abandon the party that he worked hard to build in order to enter the dilapidated building the PDP has become. Asiwaju worked for over 16 years to break the PDP yoke on the nation.

“After breaking that yoke, it is not in his nature to voluntarily place it back on our necks. Anyone who has followed his career, even his staunchest critics, knows Asiwaju for his partisan consistency. He is not a party hopper. He is loyal and sticks with the party to which he belongs.

“This scam will fail. Asiwaju supports and stands behind President Buhari. He wishes the president well and that he returns soon. Whether the president is here or away, he has the full loyalty of Asiwaju Tinubu.

“President Buhari can rest assured on this point: Asiwaju Tinubu will never contest against him nor will he support anyone who does”, the statement read.

 

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